Arsenal Plan Swoop for Manchester City Defender – Report

Arsenal are keeping a keen eye on Manchester City defender Micah Richards, as they look for a right-back which will allow Bacary Sagna to provide cover in the centre. The Mirror reports that Richards will be willing to move if given an option as it will allow him more games, which will in turn boost his chances of selection for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

The 25-year-old is a self-proclaimed Arsenal fan and is likely to make a move to the Emirates his first choice if allowed to leave. In an interview with the Telegraph in 2007, he said, "I was a big Ian Wright fan when I was younger, so I supported Arsenal. Wright and Patrick Vieira were my idols so if the opportunity came to play for them one day I'd take it."

Arsenal have Sagna and Carl Jenkinson in that position and are currently short in defence, with much of their back-line out due to injury. Thomas Vermaelen and Nacho Monreal are still some time away from returning to the squad, while Sagna and Kieran Gibbs picked up injuries during their game against Aston Villa. The Gunners will now travel to Turkey to play against Fenerbahce in the first leg of their Champions League qualifiers, losing which will dent their chances of making it to the group stages.

Meanwhile, Jenkinson has urged the fans to get on their back as they look to overturn their disastrous start to the season. The 21-year-old insists that they will set things right against Fenerbahce, adding that this is where the club belongs. The Gunners have yet to face disappointment under Arsene Wenger, having qualified for Europe's biggest club competition, 16 years in succession.

"It could have been a completely different outcome on another day. We didn't get the rub of the green and sometimes you don't. That's just how football is. We're all incredibly disappointed and it's a game that we should have and we need to be winning. We've got to bounce back because we've got a massive game in midweek" he told www.arsenal.com.

"We want to be playing in the Champions League. It's the pinnacle of football and it's where this club belongs so we've got to get our heads straight and recover from this result. I'm confident we'll do that because we've got a lot of characters in the dressing room," he added.